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Practical human factors integration in the nuclear industry

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Abstract

Human factors integration (HFI) is the principal method for applying human factors to the development of socio-technical systems across safety-critical industry. The method has been developed successfully across industries from the defence sector right through to the medical sector, with various forms of application. Countries that are now seeing a nuclear renaissance have both the opportunity to apply new practices but also the challenge of true and cost-effective integration of human factors in new build projects. In this paper, we provide a framework of generic goals and a question set to guide appropriate and effective application of the method to project phases. The framework describes three main human factors goals of feasibility, usability and reliability and attempts to map these goals to project phases. We apply these concepts to the nuclear industry and indicate how practical HFI can facilitate a systems and lifecycle approach to human factors in the nuclear industry. We discuss some of the key socio-technical challenges now facing the industry.

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Correspondence to W. I. Hamilton.

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Hamilton, W.I., Kazem, M.L.N., He, X. et al. Practical human factors integration in the nuclear industry. Cogn Tech Work 15, 5–12 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10111-012-0213-z

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